Each persons' little steps reaps large benefits to the environment.
Here are a few tips that one can integrate into their daily lives that will save our natural resources for our future generation. 
Every Quarter we plan to offer new ideas and suggestions on how each of us can lesson our impact on the environment.  
Ways to Start Being Green

Reduce Your Amount of Trash

by Molly Hewitt

The Three Rs

Did you know there are three Rs in Green?
Reduce, reuse, recycle.

Everyone likes the convenience of modern life, but we pay in dollars now and garbage tomorrow for a lot of that convenience. So far it's up to each family to decide for itself where to draw the line. When your family wants to start being green, there's help available.

• Many neighborhoods have bulk food stores, that help you reduce the amount of packaging you use.
• Most towns have charity outlets such as Goodwill and the Salvation Army that reuse your old things to help someone else.
• More communities are providing curbside recycling.

We hear a lot about recycling as a way to keep the earth clean, but that's actually the third step in cutting trash down to size. Let's look at the other two first.

Reduce

This simply means, use less stuff! If you bring less stuff home, you have less stuff to throw out!

For every $10 spent on groceries, we spend a dollar more just for the boxes and bags! What are some alternatives?

• Bring your own bags to the store.
• Buy food in bulk, not individual servings.
• Use reusable containers for leftovers and in your lunch bag.
• Cut back on fast food meals, they pollute more than your arteries!

Reuse

There's a used store for almost anything. Just check out the yellow pages.

• When you buy used CDs, books, games, and clothes, you save money.
• When you sell your old stuff, you get money back.
• When you donate your old toys and appliances, you're giving someone else a present!

Recycle

Set up a recycling center in your kitchen.

• First find out what your town recycles.
• Most towns give you a card to put on the fridge that reminds you what can be recycled.
• They usually give you a big plastic bin to hold your bottles and cans between pickup days.
• Get a big paper bag for newspapers.
• Keep a record for a month and record how many garbage bags your family fills up each week.

Watch the number get smaller as you begin to recycle things you would have thrown away!

Some trashy facts

The US produces half of the world's garbage, but has only 6% of the world's people! In the US, each person generates about 4.3 pounds of trash a day. For a family of four, that's 6278 pounds, or more than THREE TONS of trash each year!

What does a family throw away?

• 35% is packaging and containers. That's over a ton a year that we have to throw away just to get to the thing we bought!
• 27.4% is what we call 'nondurable goods', things we use once and throw away, like disposable diapers, paper towels, magazines and newspapers. Each family throws out 10 pounds of paper every week! Think how much you'd save just by using both sides of your printer paper before you toss it out!
• 15% is durable goods: things that are meant to last a long time, from big things, like cars, refrigerators, and last year's computer, to tiny ones, like batteries. That's half a ton every year, just because we got bored with our old toys or couldn't be bothered to fix them!
• 14.3% (Another half ton) is yard trimmings, which should go right back in the yard as mulch!
• 8.3% is food waste. That's 10-15 pounds a week! Think how many meals that could provide!

Source: The EPA's Municipal Solid Waste Factbook

A definition to remember when purchasing products
PCW Post-consumer waste
Quite commonly, it is simply the garbage that individuals routinely discard, either in a waste receptacle or a dump, or by littering, incinerating, pouring down the drain, or washing into the gutter.
Post-consumer waste is distinguished from pre-consumer waste, which is the reintroduction of manufacturing scrap (such as trimmings from paper production, defective aluminum cans, etc.) back into the manufacturing process. Pre-consumer waste is commonly used in manufacturing industries, and is often not considered recycling in the traditional sense.

Essentials 4 offers information on the companies environmental initiatives of whose products I sell on the web site:
Alsip & Company, Inc.
1411 4th Avenue
Suite 1404
Seattle, Washington 98101
Bruce F. Alsip, Founder & President
www.canoegame.com/
All Playing Cards are made in the Seattle Washington. Card Box and  design is done in China.  

August to August Calendars - Mixed Role Productions  

Mixed Role has grown a lot over the years, but in truth very little has changed. We are still committed to providing our customers with a high quality product and good customer service. We make it our objective never to lose track of our purpose whether we are working with an individual customer or a retailer with multiple stores. Calendar pages printed on 1--% post-consumer recycled paper. Origin:USA

Baekgaard Ltd
The corporate headquarters of BaekgaardTM is located in Roanoke, Indiana. Roanoke is in the northeastern part of Indiana just 120 miles north east of Indianapolis. Roanoke is less than a four hour drive from Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis, Louisville, Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio. The address of BaekgaardTM is 12420 Silverado Dr., Roanoke, IN 46783. Leather is acquired in USA product manufactured in China. http://www.baekgaardltd.com/

Crocodile Creek

Our philosophy

Please be assured that all Crocodile Creek products are safe for children. We regard the safety of the children in our world and the safety of our products as being of the utmost importance. Our product development department works closely with our manufacturing facilities to see that our products conform to all of the appropriate safety standards.

Drinking Bottles

Our drinking bottles are made of high-quality stainless steel #304. The lid is HDPE#2 and the cap is PP#5. All materials are completely recyclable and are lead-free, phthalate-free, BPA-free and PVC-free. Origin Chna

Decipher Inc.

Location: Norfolk, Virginia, United States
Description: How to Host A Murder® has been the No. 1 murder mystery dinner party game for the past 17 years. Decipher also has a Hall of Fame game (Pente®) and an award winning family game (Truth of Dare).All How To Host a Murder games are made in the USA.

Eagle Creek:
As a company of travelers, we are also keenly aware of the environmental impact of everything we produce. We strive to minimize material waste and source and manufacture with the least environmentally impactful fabrics, trims and packaging materials. As many of our customers tell us, they have been carrying their Eagle Creek gear for years and have been amazed with the longevity of our products. To that end, we strive to make stuff that lasts a lifetime which means Eagle Creek products inevitably stay out of the landfill that much longer.
Our label is your best guarantee. All Eagle Creek gear is backed by a Lifetime Guarantee. A lifetime we presume in the hands of a curious and adventurous soul. Eagle Creek is proud to partner with several organizations that align with our brand philosophy and espouse the value of social and environmental responsibility.http://www.eaglecreek.com/ethos/design_philosophy.php

April 29, 2009 - Eagle Creek (eaglecreek.com), a leading maker of travel gear, luggage and accessories, was named to Outside magazine’s (outsideonline.com) second annual “Best Places to Work” list. Out of hundreds of companies considered, Eagle Creek was ranked in the top 20. E

In 1999, the company moved into a 92,000-sq. ft. facility in Vista,
California that serves as corporate headquarters today. Products Origin: Vietnam.

Earth Art International
1153 C Avenue S.
Edmonds, WA. 98020
www.EarthArtInternational.com
My art ( coloring books) is produced, and printed in the USA
The drawing can take anywhere from 3 days to 3 weeks. I usually spend some time doing research on a specific animal before beginning. The painting process takes about a week to complete. The coloring book series I started in 1997. All Coloring Books Origin USA

Ecojot

Ecojot® is a beautiful range of Canadian made 100% post-consumer recycled paper products which are perfect for today’s eco savvy user.
We use acid-free, processed chlorine free paper & board.
All our inks & glues are vegetable based, therefore bio-degradable.
No new trees are used to make our paper & the paper mill is powered by biogas harnessed from a nearby landfill.
All our protective packaging is corn-based. Furthermore, we try and use as much locally made raw material as possible. Origin: Canada
http://www.ecojot.com/

Faber Castell

The Faber-Castell Companies including Faber-Castell USA are committed to our environmental responsibilities and because of this we take steps to reduce, reuse and recycle whenever possible.
We continuously review processes and procedures in order to maintain our fine record of providing children and families with safe, high quality, creative experiences under the Creativity for Kids and Faber-Castell brands.

Though many of our products are produced in Germany and Brazil, most of our products are sourced in China and are very safe. We believe that product safety is more than just product testing. It begins with our team of experts in product design and development and continues with our quality assurance team, long time production partners, and continues beyond the purchase of one of our products to our consumer service specialists here in Cleveland, Ohio. Third party audits and testing of products and factories further strengthen this process. Factory and production team on-site factory visits take place quarterly. We test the individual components in our products, many of which are used across multiple kits, to ensure that they meet or exceed all US safety standards including those for lead and magnets.

Beyond safety, social and environmental issues are of great importance to us. Clear examples of this include our signing of a voluntary social charter within the Faber-Castell group, a commitment to reforestation in Brazil, and a CARE (Caring, Aware, Responsible, Ethical) certification of our partner factory in China by the International Council of Toy Industries (ICTI).The toy industry goes to great lengths to develop and monitor rigorous testing and inspection procedures ensuring that toys are safe. Origin: Indonesia, Germany and China

Good Read Games, Inc.

www.goodreadgames.com Chicago, Ill

It's a Dark and Stormy Night Game is Made in USA with wooden parts from China.

GreenSmart:
In 2006 we began the transformational process of replacing product materials with eco-conscious materials, teaching our retail customers about the materials, phasing out existing products and materials. What we did was nothing short of a do-over. Within 30 months, we had converted our supply chain to greener processes, greener materials and greener thinking.
We are just beginning. Our primary objective with every product and material we make or use is eco-progress. There is no eco-perfect and we are not perfect either. We plan to continue to improve. We started with our practical usage of rPET polyester derived from the recycling of PET water and soda bottles, and in 2009 our introduction of neogreene, neoprene reinvented. We think there is no limit as to the ways GreenSmart may be able to bring greener choices to you. We can barely wait to see what is next. http://www.greensmart.biz/index.html,

Origin of Messenger Bag Products: China

Higgins Brothers Company

Higgins Brothers Company is located at: 400 Brock Rd # 7, Dundas On, Canada L9H 5E4Higgins Brothers is the manufacturer and distributor of the official products of Cirque du Soleil.

 Cirque du Soleil Joggling Balls are made in Canada.  Half of our Cirque du Soleil  line is made in Canada. Our headquarters are also in Canada and our wages are very fair.

Our other products are manufactured in our “factory” in china. All wages and ages are verified in this factory.  We source from only this one factory.

Cirque du Soleil products are packaged in recyclable products.   We have switch from clamshell to paper pack for environmental reasons Origin: Canada and China

House of Doolittle

Since 1990 all of House of Doolittle products have been made using recycled materials. Currently we use recycled paper made with 100% post-consumer fiber. We print only with soy ink. each year 5% of our profit goes to organizations committed to improving the environment. House of Doolittle products are crafted with pride in USA. House of Doolittle offers a state of the art in-house design services to satisfy special customer needs Origin: USA

Lonely Planet:
FSC or PEFC certified paper is our preferred paper of choice. All print suppliers are holders of various certifications with all, as a minimum, holders of FSC certification.
Packaging consists of recycled cartons and recycled or kraft (both 100% recycled) paper for protecting the books inside the cartons. .We source from the following countries:
Asia and Northern Europe have a Paper Procurement Policy in place, with audits to ensure compliance and have ahave a Code of Ethical Policy in place, with audits to ensure compliance
Regular audits are conducted by a third party to ensure compliance with Lonely Planet’s / BBCW’s ethical standards and requirements. / Origin China
USA Lonely Planet
50 Linden Street
Oakland, CA 94607
www.lonelyplanet.com

MindWare
2100 County Rd C W
Roseville, MN 55113-2501

MindWare is an award-winning creator, manufacturer, and distributor of Brainy Toys for Kids of All Ages. Our diverse product line includes games, puzzles, brainteasers, arts and crafts activities, mysteries, mazes and more. Our goal is to place high quality toys that teach and entertain into the hands of children and adults. Our founder, Jeanne Voigt, started MindWare in 1990 with a small retail store in the Uptown area of Minneapolis. From there, the company has evolved into a cataloger, web retailer and distributor. MindWare mails catalogs to consumers and educators throughout the United States The coloring books Essentials 4 carries  are made in the USA

Mixed Role Productions, Inc.

P.O. Box 7517, Eugene,Or. 97401

August to August Calendars are 100% post-consumer recycled paper. Printed in the Pacific Northwest, Origin:USA.

Moleskine
In China we have found manufacturers capable of blending the large volumes of industrial production with the care and individual attention of handmade craftsmanship. Our search for the right partners has been time-consuming and exhaustive, and it has demanded much testing and a careful selection process. The production processes of our suppliers are certified with the leading world organizations, acknowledged and recognized in the field.
Aside from the high quality of the notebooks they produce, our suppliers have been selected because they adhere to the highest standards in terms of respect and protection of workers' rights.
Each factory is monitored and inspected repeatedly throughout the course of each year.
All Moleskine notebooks are made with acid-free paper, making Moleskine notebooks environmentally friendly products.
Our FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification is pending.
http://www.moleskine.com/about_us/social_responsibility.php#paragraph2

Origin: China

Paperblanks Journals
Paperblanks® participates in a CO2 offsetting program with Climate Care whereby we pay a self-imposed carbon “tax” proportional to our greenhouse gas releases.
Differentiation — to identify Hartley and Marks Publishers as a company with a strong commitment to the global environment and to assisting developing nations.
So far, our company has offset over 580 tonnes of carbon dioxide, and our payments have been used to fund fuel efficient stoves and energy efficient lighting in some of the poorest countries in the world. Information on Climate Care and its programs can be found at www.climatecare.org.
We also manage all aspects of our business to ensure we’re as environmentally responsible as we can be. With respect to the production of our journals for example, all our paper is acid free and derived from sustainable forest pulp, and our binder boards are made with 100% recycled materials.

Sustainable forests are forest managed for reproduction purposes, much like a farm, where the intention is to continue growing new trees following any harvest. The concept was developed to thwart deforestation. Sustainable forest pulp is pulp (paper) that is derived from these forests.

Pomegranate Communications, Inc.

Pomegranate Communications, Inc is located in Petaluma, California. Box 808022, Petaluma , CA> 94975 www.pomegrante.com. Pomegranate Communications, Inc. is a publishing house located in Northern California. The company collaborates with many renowned institutions including the National Gallery of Art, the Library of Congress, the British Library, the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, Sierra Club, the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and is the proud licensee for such distinguished artists as M. C. Escher, Edward Gorey, Charley Harper, Wolf Kahn, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Gustave Baumann, among others. Essentials 4 purchases calendars, Knowledge Cards, Puzzles, Note Cards, Journals, Coloring Books, Sierra Club Products, Holiday Cards and Holiday wrapping.

Many of Pomegranate’s gift products are produced on recycled paper with soy-based inks.  .Pomegranate’s 2011 line of calendars and going forward are almost all produced on FSC Certified paper.  The FSC Certification ensures that the paper and ink is sourced from environmentally safe and renewable practices.  Most all of our paper and ink is sourced from China and Korea and to a small degree in the United States.  

 Most of the gift products do not have any packaging at all and the rest of our products are merely shrink wrapped with a very recyclable plastic film. Packaging is minimal in the Pomegranate lines.  Pomegranate have a third party verification from our print brokers, who are frequently on site, and occasionally, albeit rarely, company staff is on site, to report on labor standards.

Origin: Korea and USA

Resource Revival

Clocks and gifts made from recycled products
We create fun, functional products from recycled bicycle parts. We collect tons of discarded bicycle parts every year from bike shops all over the United States. Then our team of artists tinkers with them until new products are born. We call this Resource Revival! All of our recycled products are unique and original designs, the result of 15+ years of constant innovation and refinement; and they are made by real people, not mass produced, whether we are welding Bike Chain Bowls in our Mosier, Oregon, studio, or working with Opportunity Connection, an organization in Hood River, Oregon, that provides jobs for developmentally disabled adults. Origin USA http://www.resourcerevival.com/stories

Rite in the Rain journals:
Recyclability:
In spite of Rite in the Rain paper’s durability, it is totally recyclable as standard paper, which is untrue of synthetic, or poly coated papers. Simply recycle Rite in the Rain as you do other white or printed papers.
Recycled Fiber Content:
Rite in the Rain all-weather writing paper is a patented substrate created for use in outdoor writing situations. Since this paper is designed for use in extreme conditions it is manufactured with the most durable yet recyclable components availableOur unique “Polydura” cover and reference card substrate is extruded using 100% post-consumer recycled materials. (Milk, shampoo bottles, etc.) No “virgin” resins are used.
Environmental Impact of Manufacturing Process:
The process involved in the manufacture of Rite in the Rain paper was designed to have zero impact on the environment. The process emits no air pollution and the mill off-cuts are recycled back into the paper-manufacturing stream.
All printing plates and processing liquids are recycled.
100% of printing inks are soy based.
The modern facility and equipment are designed to be energy efficient.Origin USA
http://www.riteintherain.

Sherpani:
Sherpani is committed to doing our part to protect the environment by designing and manufacturing products that are made of natural fibers and recycled materials whenever possible. We also take steps in the office and on the road to minimize our own impact on the environment by reducing our energy consumption and recycling. Boulder Colorado
Sherpani Sport and Travel Collections - We recycle used soda bottles, water bottles and other liquid containers, unusable second quality fabrics and worn out garments to reconstitute polyester fibers that can be woven into fabric. The use of recycled polyester for bags and other products lessens our need for oil, reduces waste (and the toxins required to burn it), and produces less pollution than when starting off with virgin polyester.
Benefits of recycled polyester: - Lessens dependence on oil.- Helps to promote a new recycling stream for polyester bags and clothing that is no longer wearable – Creates less air, water and soil contamination
Sherpani strives for a minimum of 67% recycled Fabric in our Planet Friendly collection fabrics.   - Non-Toxic Dyes
In all our collections, Sherpani uses Dyes with pigments from natural sources that do not contain carcinogenic materials, heavy metals or formaldehyde. Non toxic dyes tend to be safer for the environment, workers who produce them, and they are more skin friendly for people who have sensitivity to chemicals. Origin Vietnam. http://sherpani.com/environment.aspx

Shizen Design Specialty paper and note cards:
Our handmade papers are imported from India and our Cardstock and Corrugated Papers from Germany.
All our handmade papers are 100 % Recycled from Post Consumer Waste and the paper making process is pollution free. All of our papers are Acid Free.
http://www.shizendesign.com/

Sierra Club Pomegranate products notecards:
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this product supports Sierra Club's efforts to preserve and protect the planet. Note cards are printed in the USA with soy-based inks on recycled paper.
Origin USA and Korea. http://pomegranate.stores.yahoo.net/

SQUARE ROOT GAMES
945 Eichler Drive
Mountain View, CA 94040
http://squarerootgames.com/about.html
Gary MacLeod, owner of Square Root Games and designer of all our games. Games are made in China and USA. info@SquareRootGames.com

Stabilo

Stabilo Greencolor Pencils are specially developed pencils, made from 100 % FSC-certified wood. FSC represents strictly controlled, ecologically meaningful and sustainable forest management. STABILO is the first FSC-certified writing instruments manufacturer and hence a pioneer in the industry. High-quality colored leads with intensive color application for strong, brilliant coloring

International Headquarters STABILO International GmbH
Schwanweg 1, 90562 Heroldsberg, Germany Origin: EU

Strathmore

Strathmore Green is in our nature

And our support of environmental solutions does not compromise our paper performance, appearance, or price. It's all part of our commitment to give you the greener choices you want, with all the Strathmore quality you've come to expect for more than 100 years.

Clean Renewable Energy
The Windpower™ Series represents our commitment to paper performance and the environment. The products are manufactured with emissions-free, wind-generated electricity through the purchase of 100% certified renewable energy credits. What's more, they're certified through the Green-e® Marketplace Program administered by the non-profit Center for Resource Solutions based in San Francisco, CA.

Recycled Materials
Our Premium Recycled Series and Artagain pads maximize the use of recycled fibers to include high levels of post-consumer waste fibers. By using recycled materials in the paper-making process, we divert waste from landfills, consume less energy, and use less water than if using virgin fibers. The results are quality eco-friendly papers consumers naturally appreciate.

Alternative Fibers
Our growing collection of tree-friendly products includes artist quality papers made with cotton and hemp plant fibers. Alternative fibers, such as cotton and hemp, grow faster than trees and harvesting does not disturb natural ecosystems. In fact, one acre of hemp can produce as much usable fiber as four acres of trees. Our 100% cotton-based papers rely on cotton rags and recovered by-products of plants already grown for use in the textile industry.
Hemp can be pulped using fewer chemicals than wood because of its low lignin content. Its natural brightness prevents the need for chlorine bleaching. Also, paper made from hemp can be recycled several times more than wood-based paper.
Strathmore Pads and sketch books are made from windpower and 100% recycled material. Origin USA

The Hands Work
My primary medium is the unusual one of Rusty Recycled Metal. I take something once discarded and transform it into something beautiful and desired that brings pleasure and joy to someone's life. Denver, Colorado http://thehandswork.com/index.html Origin USA

Toss Company

Toss Designs - P.O. Box 844 - Ross, CA 94957

This San Francisco Bay Area design house knows that a bag is only as fabulous as its attention to detail. The product Essentials 4 has purchased from Toss is their 100% Natural and Biodegradable. Tote.  These totes and cosmetic bags are imported from India. Essentials 4 has requested information from Toss Company about their production in India.

Trash to Treasure:
Founded in 2005 by Julia Genatossio, Monsoon Vermont sells items made from non-recyclable plastic collected by scavengers from the streets, landfills, and waterways of Jakarta, the capital city with more than 9 million inhabitants. The trash is triple-washed, then sewn collage style into messenger bags, wallets, umbrellas, computer bags, backpacks, shower curtains, wastebaskets, travel wallets, and more. Dubbed "Trashion™," combining trash and fashion, the items create sustainable work for those at the bottom of the economic spectrum.
The trash from the scavenger community is turned into the designer Trash to treasure at his Jakarta workshop, appropriately named Plastic Works. The price per kilo for the trash is the same as paid for rice. This elevates the scavengers to the level of agricultural workers. It has a profound effect on their lives.
Monsoon Vermont's warehouse is attached to the Post Office in Jamaica, Vermont. The work is sold online and across the street in a boutique set up in the Jamaica Coffee House, where you can sip fair trade organic coffee six days a week (closed Wednesdays), from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Origin Indonesia http://www.themonsoongroup.com/about_monsoon.html

Waste Not Paper (WNP) Stationary:
In the last year, we have reaffirmed our dedication to the world around us, and we will continue to offer beautiful, competitive and eco-friendly products in the years to come.
The foundation for all of our great products is paper. Our paper - the base for wrap, notes, stickers and more - is created domestically, which means it didn't travel the world to get to you!
Our paper comes from mills that practice responsible, sustainable forestry as certified by objective 3rd parties. Much of our product is created using renewable energy sources, such as hydro power or wind power.
Our entire line of solid cards, envelopes and paper is produced without elemental chlorine (PCF). Our printers operate with reduced volatile organic compound (VOC) emission and recycle their ink waste. Many of our note sets are handmade from renewable content, usually cotton or bark fiber.
Eco-White, made of 100% recycled content with 30% PCW, is the base for our printed notes, wrap and bags. We also donate, reuse, and recycle all of our scrap paper. In addition, we have added new labels to our note sets and wrap which feature information about their recycled content.
We have swapped out all of our packing materials to reduce waste (and peanuts), and continue to look for creative ways to reuse packing materials. Origin USA

ts

www.worldwiseimports.com/